On one of my recent visits to Beijing I decided to stay at the Hutong area near Confucius Temple. It was a wonderful area, filled with local alley magic and temple shops, but it wasn’t all Confucian. In that area
Shibuya Crossing – Tobacco and Salt Museum : Tokyo
In one of my favorite movies of all time – Lost in Translation – the Shibuya Crossing represents all that’s different and overwhelming about the Tokyo experience. The neon lights, the gigantic rail station in the back, and the hordes
Mexican festival near Union Station : Los Angeles
At the heart of Los Angeles is Union Station, surrounded by a variety of culturally themed neighborhoods. You’ve got your China Town, your Little Tokyo, and closest by is the Mexican area. While walking through those neighborhood I came across
Conservatory of Flowers at Golden Gate Park : San Francisco
San Francisco is gorgeous. I enjoyed everything I saw in the last visit, was very impressed with how things looked and how relaxed and happy the locals seemed in most parts of the big city. One of the things I
OHenry’s House & Museum : Austin Texas
While I was walking towards my academic conference at the Austin Convention Center in Austin Texas I noticed a plain old historical house. It was quite humble, but it was definitely out of place in the area surrounding the convention
Meigetsuin Temple : Kamakura Japan
The last temple in my Kamakura temple run on my daytrip away from Tokyo is the Meigetsuin Zen Temple dating back to the 12th century. A very tranquil temple surrounded by green forest trees in what feels like a true
Beijing Hutongs : Fangjia, Nanluoguxiang and Wudaoying
The Beijing Hutongs are alley-ways all across Beijing that represent a traditional disappearing way of life. During my first visit to Beijing I stayed in a five star hotel near Tiananmen square completely disconnected from local life, so for the
Capitol building : Austin Texas
Possibly one of the most photogenic capitol buildings I’ve visited in the United States is based in Austin Texas. I was visiting in town for a conference (SPSP2014) and caught some gorgeous cold sunny weather that made for some spectacular
Engakuji Temple : Kamakura Japan
One of the largest Zen Buddhist temples in Japan and situated in a gorgeous forested area in the lovely Kamakura, a day trip from Tokyo, is the Engaku-ji Temple. The temple dates back to the 13th century and is a
Thien Hau Temple & Chinese American Museum : China Town Los Angeles
Los Angeles has a large China Town, so naturally I had to pay my respects to my cultural heritage. It’s a pretty solid typical China Town, with your average Chinese restaurant and old Chinese people sitting in small rooms playing